CMRS to inspect Airport Line on Friday

New Delhi: Delhi Metro’s high-speed Airport Express Line will undergo its second safety test in three months on Friday and Saturday after which the corridor is expected to be opened to the public.

The 23-km link that connects the city’s shopping hub of Connaught Place with the Indira Gandhi International Airport has missed three deadlines- October 3(Commonwealth Games), October 31 and December 31, set by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Union Urban Development Ministry.

The showcase line, that promises to take commuters from the city to the airport in flat 20 minutes, missed its CWG deadline after it failed the safety test in September, the first for any Metro line, due to non-completion of work on the line and the inability to conduct speed trials.

After almost two weeks of exchanging correspondence and seeking clarifications, Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) R K Kardam has informed the Delhi Metro that he will conduct a two-day inspection of the line from Friday.

“The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety has agreed to inspect the line on January 7 and 8. He will inspect the line for two days,” Mangu Singh, Director (Works), Delhi Metro, told PTI.

Asked whether the CMRS has sought further clarification on the Line, Singh replied in the negative. The Delhi Metro and Reliance Infrastructure-led consortium, which will run the line, had sent an application asking the CMRS to inspect the high-speed corridor for his mandatory clearance.

However, the CMRS sought a number of clarifications from the DMRC and the consortium regarding the line and finally got back to them today.

The consortium has been maintaining that the Line is now ready for commercial operations and will be thrown open to the public immediately after it gets the nod from CMRS.

Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan had also echoed similar views on December 24 when he said that work on the line is complete and could be opened just “24 hours” after the CMRS nod. He also visited the corridor on December 7 and expressed satisfaction over the “operational readiness”.

DMRC officials the Line may start with a 16-hour run initially from 6 AM to 10 PM and gradually increased. The consortium says it is ready to run even for 20 hours a day. Once the CMRS gives his nod, the line will open with four stations i.e. New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, IGI Airport and Dwarka Sec-21 stations. Two other stations i.e. Dhaula Kuan and Aerocity may open a little later.

The prospects of of having check-in counters at select stations on the corridor is also growing brighter with national carrier Air India expressing willingness to set up such a facility.